Career Opportunities in Architecture

The need for architects is practically indispensable. People need places to live, work, learn, and play. These places take many different forms - outdoor concert venues, shopping malls, high-rise buildings, two-level ranch houses, subdivisions. Architects are the people who make these places a reality, who transform builders' intangible ideas into tangible concrete, wood, steel, and plaster entities.

Contrary to what many people think, the design of a building involves much more than its appearance. A building must be safe, functional, and economical as well as suit the needs of the people using it. Successful architects must be able to take all of these things into consideration.

An architect's clientele generally consists of individuals; local, state, or federal governments; or companies that are planning a construction project. It is sometimes necessary for the architect to provide various pre-design services, such as conducting feasibility and environmental impact studies or specifying the requirements a design must meet.

Although architects design a wide range of buildings - such as churches, factories, airports, schools, houses, industrial parks, and housing developments - they tend to specialize in the design of one type of building or phase of work. For example, some architects design only schools, hospitals, or apartment complexes while others focus solely on pre-design services or construction management, limiting the amount of actual design work. Regardless of focus, much of an architect's time is spent working with other professionals such as landscape architects, engineers, and urban planners.

While most architects work for architectural firms some work independently, for general building contractors, or for community development agencies - most of which are government affiliates.

Architectural degree programs prepare students for success by offering courses in computer-aided design (CAD), model creation, drafting, and building design. Students interested in such a program should be highly motivated, creatively inclined, and enjoy working with their hands.